A Menconi, G Kallapura, X Hernandez-Velasco, J Latorre, M Morgan, N R Pumford, S Layton, T Urbano, M Caseres, C Pixley, J Barton, B M Hargis and G Tellez
Glutamine-enriched diets have been linked with favorable intestinal effects including structure maintenance of gut barrier against bacteria attacks and enterocyte differentiation. Although post hatch, immaturity of the GIT in the first week is a limiting factor, early nutrition has shown to be an alternative to alleviate the adverse performance effects of post-hatch starvation. In addition, both live and spore based probiotics have earned tremendous attention as a viable control of enteric pathogens. Present studies were carried out with objectives of evaluating the influence of nutrition and synergistic effects of Gln supplementation in combination with FloraMax-B11 (FM), a defined lactic acid bacteria (LAB) probiotic product; PHL-NP-122, a heat-resistant spore-forming Bacillus subtilis (BS); and EarlyBird (EB), a natural hydration and nutrition supplement for neonatal broilers and poults, on Salmonella Typhimurium colonization. Morphometric analysis showed increased (P<0.05) villus height, villus width, and villus surface area index in chickens treated with all combination groups. A reduction (P<0.05) on nitric oxide (NO) produced was observed in the explant tissues of all the treated groups in comparison with the control group and a synergistic effect (P<0.05) in the groups treated with Gln and BS (HPL-NP-122). Reductions in Salmonella recovery incidence (P<0.05) and colonization (P< 0.05 to P<0.001) were also observed among the treated groups, suggesting beneficial effects of these combinational feed supplements. Improved gut morphology and Salmonella exclusion was very well supported by body weight (BW) data with lower (P<0.05) early BW loss and overall BW gains in birds treated with treated groups. Considering the fact that the feed costs represents from 70 to 80% of the poultry production and the integrity of the epithelial cells of the mucosa, hence ensured good performance and production, is dependent of feed and feed supplements, these studies hold their relevance and importance as beneficial in more than one aspect to the poultry industry.